Games the Nobles Play
by StarzOfDraco
Summary: Nathaniel Howe and Reina Cousland were the best of friends and lovers until the day Reina ended the life of Nathaniel's father. Now as adults, can the two ex-nobles make amends and live the life that was planned for them?
1. Start Counting

"_Five…six…seven…" Blue orbs spied naughtily through silt fingers. Cheater. "Eight…nine…ten! Ready or not, here I come!"_

_A blur of green and gold cotton skipped heedlessly pass his sensible hiding spot. Little Reina Cousland had never learned to search the room she started in. Amateur. On the tippiest of toes, the oldest of the Howe children discreetly abandoned the safe harbor he discovered among various crates and pursued the bouncing clueless girl. Dark midnight ringlets adorned with silk ribbons, green and gold to match her noble's dress of course, danced in the air with every skip._

"_Ridi…come out come out wherever you are." Reina quietly taunted into every room as she traveled desolately down the long castle hallway, her voice echoing along grand stone walls. Nathaniel's lips began curling upwards as Reina's began curling down. "Ridi! You're cheating, I know it." She whined throwing a minor spoiled child's fit. "Where are you hiding?"_

_With the slightest chuckle, Nathaniel reached out with twitchy fingers and tickled the little Cousland girl relentlessly on her sides, right below the rib cage. That spot always did the trick. In a whirl of curls, cotton and silk ribbons, Reina spun in a huff, unable to bar the girlish giggling. "Ridi, that's not fair!" Perpetual laughter and unfading smiles flushed her features of natural color._

"_Fair?" Ceasing his calculated tickle assault, Nathaniel brought a hand to his chest in all innocence. "My lady, whatever do you mean?"_

"_Do not play ignorant with me." Reina whimpered, trying desperately to bury her joy…and failing to do so. "The game is hide and seek. Not hide, wait for the seeker to miss you and then follow. Ridi, you cheated!"_

_Nathaniel couldn't help but laugh. "Rei-rei, was I mistaken or did you sneak a peek while you were counting?"_

"_I…uh…I was just making sure you weren't, um, cheating!" Holding her head high, Reina crossed her arms defiantly despite the obvious fib that fell from her pouty lips. "How did you get by me?"_

"_You, my lady, need to learn to keep eyes focused behind you as well as in front of you." Nathaniel smirked, winking knowingly towards his young friend. "I believe it is your turn to hide, is it not?"_

_With a bright smile and a crinkle of her nose, little Reina Cousland turned on a heel and ran blissfully down the hall. "Start counting Ridi! I promise you won't find me this time and I won't have to cheat like you did!"_

_Nathaniel scoffed jovially at the flutter of deep greens and golds escaping his sight. With a soft sigh, he covered his shimmering silver eyes. "I will always find you Rei-rei, no matter where you hide. One…two…three…"_

_

* * *

_

The Maker had a terrible sense of humor. His home had been filled with the shuffling footsteps of those who did not belong. Trespassing fingers skimmed along items that were not theirs to possess and voices of warden intruders inhabited rooms that were rightfully his. There was nothing just in these squatters frolicking freely on stolen lands, nothing at all.

Nathaniel pinched the bridge of his nose. Frustration built easily while housed on the criminal side of steel bars. Or perhaps he was actually on the free side, for all that remained beyond his prison were crooks and thieves…and Reina Cousland.

"Cousland" The name fell from his lips like a poison as he pounded a fist against the cold prison floor. "You will pay for what you have done."

Originally, his intent had been to kill the one who murdered his father, the one that abducted everything from him, but once he traced familiar ground memories of a naive girl following him about the keep's halls infected his arduous thoughts. Fleeting images of a teenager begging to learn how to handle a blade flooded his mind. The voice of a beautiful woman calling out his name late in the night as he explored her slender form for the first time rattled within his skull. It became increasingly difficult to maintain his justified rage while pleasant memories stirred within his conscience.

With a weakened heart, Nathaniel settled for reclaiming a few of his family's lawful possessions, but before he could make haste he was thrown with the rats, stripped of what little items he had, and locked away to await whatever sentence that Cousland deemed necessary. _Foolish cowards. _They should have let him go. Should have hung him themselves if anything, for now he could think of nothing other than snapping her pretty neck. Pleasant memories were much easier to replace with hatred when left alone in a cell.

Nathaniel rubbed his temples as the sound of rusty hinges screeched throughout the tiny dungeon. As if summoned by his burning animosity, four sets of footsteps and one set of animal claw clicks approached. Three were unfamiliar, sloppy and loud, while the last he would recognize anywhere. Each step was taken with intent, every movement barely audible. _Cousland... _Sitting up, Nathaniel glared at his unwelcomed guests. _Two men, a guard and a mage. A dwarf, warrior. Sounds like the set up for a bad joke. So...a guard, a mage, a dwarf, a dog and a murderer walk into a dungeon..._

Reina froze at the sight of him; face twitching with bewilderment as her mabari excitedly jumped on the cell door with tail wagging and tongue hanging out. "My lady, um I mean, Commander. I apologize. It took four of our men to capture him. He's a threat, I would suggest hanging..." Ever the noble, Reina lifted a leather braced hand, hushing the guard beside her. "Leave us." Though soft, her confident voice could send shivers down a grown man's back when she needed it to. "Both of you as well." With the flick of a wrist, Reina dismissed her companions.

"Leave a dungeon? You don't have to tell me twice." The mage said already half turned towards the exit.

The dwarf raised a bushy eyebrow. Nathaniel couldn't distinguish if it was out of concern or mere skepticism. "You got this, kid?"

Reina nodded, eyes refusing to abandon the man before her. "Take Jester with you."

"Sodding dog, I'm watching you." Grumbling, both dwarf and dog trailed after the mage.

At the sound of the prison door closing, Reina released a deep breath. She looked...different, to say the least. Frilly dresses were replaced with bloody armor and weapons. Ribbons were abandoned for a single metal clip. Bouncing curls no longer fell upon her shoulders; instead messy loose strands of hair framed her face. Her eyes, like his, were no longer endless pools of brightness and hope. Nathaniel had thought that when he finally came face to face with his father's murderer he would be greeted with the face of a monster, but the girl that stood in front of him was nothing more than a broken soul. Broken like he was. The Maker really had a horrible sense of humor…really horrible. Pushing pity aside, Nathaniel reminded himself of the wrongs committed against his family. Reminded himself that he needed to do right by his father. _I promise father, she will pay._

Sitting on the floor across from him, Reina leaned against a wall and extended her legs, ankle crossing over ankle. Though surrounded by mounds of aged dirt and cobwebs, an air of grandeur surrounded the woman. Glittering blues and silvers accentuated her high cheek bones and long lashed eyes. Colors, he could tell, were chosen specially to compliment the drake skin armor she donned of a similar palate. Only Reina Cousland could turn being a rogue into a fashion statement. Busying her hands, she dusted her armor absentmindedly. "Been a long time Nate, I see you've taken up petty thievery."

"I see you've taken up murdering fathers." Nathaniel growled venomously as he clenched his jaw.

Raising a dark thin eyebrow, the woman clucked her tongue expectantly. "Trust me; you do not know the whole story. Rendon Howe was not the man you thought he was."

Grinning crookedly, he shook his head. "Likely, I'm sure. You know, you've always lacked skill when it came to lying."

"Still the charmer I see." With a quick toss, she slid a small leather pouch into his cell. "If I was lying, would I give you that?"

Perplexed, Nathaniel cautiously opened the pouch revealing a set of fine crafted lock picks he had gifted her years ago. He wasn't sure if this was a sign of blind faith or some sort of brilliant trick, but no matter the reason he wasn't about to squander the opportunity to escape. Deftly he freed himself. With a quick side glance, Nathaniel took notice of the trunk containing his belongings that had been left carelessly close to his cell. "What are you trying to prove with this little stunt?"

"That you are not your father."

"You didn't know my father."

Reina snorted, chewing aimlessly on her pinky nail. "No I really didn't and believe me, you didn't either. I thought he was a friend. I assumed he was the great man you painted him to be, but it turned out he was just a traitorous coward."

"Tread carefully Cousland." Seething, Nathaniel flared his nostrils.

"Arl Howe murdered my family; destroyed my home whilst our army was sent to defend Ostagar. Sounds like an opportunistic coward to me."

"Your _family _was going to sell us out to the Orlesians."

"I take that's what he told you." She rose to her feet, feline-like eyes fixated on him as she brushed dirt off her back side. "Did he also inform you of his numerous transgressions? Such vile transgressions included selling his citizens into slavery. Does that sound like the man you knew?"

It was provoking how caustic and dry Reina kept her tone, but if she wanted to play, Nathaniel was more than willing to oblige. "How could he? Last time I checked, corpses weren't the chattiest of folk."

She grunted, smirking bitterly. "Well, I suppose that means you aren't aware that he seized the children of his political enemies for torture."

Nathaniel shook his head. His father tended to partake in the unconventional, but unnecessary torture? He was no stranger to the late Arl Howe's violent demeanor, but Nathaniel couldn't bring himself to accept Reina's words. "I don't believe you."

"Or that he held the Queen hostage for knowing too much." Rubbing her knuckles against her prominent jaw line, Reina fastidiously closed the distance between the two ex-nobles. He could feel her hot breath against his skin.

"Stop." His muscles tensed, fists constricted, as he resisted the urge to lash out at her.

"The blood of hundreds of innocents drenched his hands," Tilting her head from side to side, the Cousland girl toyed with his ever growing frustration, stoking his ferocity. "…including King Cailan's."

"LIES!" Violently he shoved her back and without hesitation, turned towards the chest next to him, kicking it open. Ignoring the pain radiating through his unarmored leg, Nathaniel reached for his twin daggers as Reina drew her own blades. Steel clashed ruthlessly against steel. With a brisk side step, Reina dodged his attempted right flank and countered, jabbing the hilt of her off hand weapon into his shoulder.

"You're losing your touch, Nate. What happened to the boy that could disarm anyone in one move?"

Nathaniel gnarled, gripping his daggers with primal intensity. Rushing her in a flurry of slashes, he screamed out. "I loved my father!"

"I loved mine." She retorted, dexterously avoiding his onslaught.

"And I loved you." Dropping one of his daggers, he wrapped his hand around Reina's regal neck, forcibly pulling her into him. Their lips collided in raw barbarity. Her enchanted weapons fell to the ground in a clatter, barely noticeable over his pounding heartbeat. Her tongue tasted just as he remember, like cinnamon. Too much would burn, but in just the right doses it was the sweetest, most delectable spice imaginable. Nathaniel stifled a moan as nails clawed at his back in a mixture of pure passion and desperation.

With a quick intake of breath, she pulled away from him. Blue eyes widened as her pupils dilated in fear. Her plump lips stretched horizontally as her lower lip began to tremble.

"But not anymore." Her warm life liquid spilled onto his hands. Backing away, Nathaniel eyed the dagger hilt jutting out of Reina's abdomen. He wondered if this mimicked his father's final moments. If the Arl had looked just as small. If his world ended just as dramatically. Choking on air, she reached for him as her body spiraled towards the prison floor.

With crimson stained hands, Nathaniel returned to the chest and reclaimed his belongings. Sifting through his canvas sack, he retrieved a health poultice and placed it next to the feeble woman he had just bested. He bent down, pressing his mouth against her ear. "Start counting, Rei-rei."

Throwing on his cloak and slinging his bow and humble quiver over his shoulder, Nathaniel prepared to make a run for it. Outside the dwarf swayed drunkenly, stubby finger pointed at the statue of Andraste and mouth spewing obscenities regarding her…figure. _"Hey hey good looking, nice ass! Ahahahaha. Get over here and take a ride on ole Oghren." _Both mage and mabari had their rear ends in the air and heads down as the mage cooed ridiculously into a bush. _"Here kitty-kitty." _If the skirted man had a tail it most likely would be flailing as happily as the dog's.

_Fascinating the company she keeps now.__..  
_

"Mage!" Nathaniel called out as he was about to turn a corner. "Your dear Commander requests your presence."

Not waiting for a reaction, Nathaniel ran for the side exit located behind the prison. One lowly guard stood between his capture and escape. A brutal jab across the chin was all that was needed and before anyone noticed, he was gone.

Pausing on the outskirts of Vigil's Keep, Nathaniel scowled over his shoulder. _Let the games begin._


	2. Ridiculously Smitten

Reina gasped, inhaling more dust than oxygen as she clutched at her fresh wound. Her hands fouled with a balmy syrupy substance...a substance she chose to hastily ignore.

"Commander!"

In her current dazed state, she could vaguely remember the owner of the panicked voice that resonated through her ears. Andy, she recalled…or something along those lines.

"You're not allowed to slip on me missy. If you fall, who can I expect to keep those pesky templars off my hind's end? Certainly not the drunk!"

Through water clogged eyes, she swore she saw the man (_Andy? Adam? A-something or another) _smirking as he brought his - 'too soft to be a man's' - touch to her midsection. Sudden warmth flowed through her veins, tickling as it traveled its course.

"Ridi…always…cheating..." Reina whispered hoarsely, slipping into a world of blackness.

* * *

_She was smitten, absolutely smitten. From the first time the little Cousland girl caught a glimpse of the Howe boy she was completely enamored._

_The problem?_

_For an Arl's son, he looked ridiculous, positively ridiculous. The boy's noble garbs were mismatched, as if he weren't sure whether he should wear the colors of Amaranthine or the colors of Highever. Silly Howe. His chin consisted of a strange dimple that deepened whenever he spoke, lending to a most disturbing distraction. The most ridiculous aspect though was his hair. His dark hair was kept longer than most of the boys Reina had met, certainly much longer than her brother's, and it maddeningly covered his face, covered the very feature that led to her sudden adolescent infatuation._

_His eyes…_

_She couldn't quite place the color. Grey? Silver? Perfect?_

_It didn't matter that this was the first time the two of them had ever seen one another. It didn't matter that she didn't know his name or that he was older than her. She was undeniably smitten, and for a six year old girl, that was all that mattered._

"_Pup, this is Arl Howe's eldest."_

_Reina clung to her father's leg as her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink._

"_You may call me Nathaniel, my lady." The young boy's voice hitched awkwardly as he spoke, the dimple on his chin hallowing with every word._

_Burying half her face into her father's leg, Reina chewed on her thumb nail and smiled. Sheepishly, she giggled. "You look funny."_

"_Pup, manners…" The Teryn locked gazes with his little one, mouth stern, but eyes smiling. Her parents always found it difficult to discipline their daughter, especially when she wore her infamous – 'What? I'm innocent!' – face. "I apologize for my daughter's behavior."_

"_My my, I see why you refer to her as your little spitfire. She possesses such spirit for one so young."_

_The Arl looked just as ridiculous as the boy did, perhaps more so with the nose and all, but Reina wasn't going to risk mentioning anything. Besides, she was much too busy with watching the boy fidget. Those enthralling eyes of his were examining every bit of his person, searching for what made him look so…weird. He would never find it of course, not without her expertise that is._

"_Yes, my friend, more spirit than Eleanor and I can handle at times." The Teryn let out a hearty laugh._

_Abandoning the safety of her father, where her blushing and girlish giggling could go unnoticed, Reina approached the frowning boy. "Don't worry Na…Nath…Nata…"_

"_Nathaniel, Pup, the boy's name is Nathaniel."_

"_Yes, you…I can fix you if you like." Timidly, the young Cousland twisted her foot against the cobble stone floor. "Come, follow me." Reina smiled brightly before turning on her toes and running up the grand stair way that led up to the Cousland's family quarters._

_Without a knock, Reina trotted into her brother's chambers and swung open the doors to his armoire._

_Fergus sighed at the disregard of privacy. "Sister, what do you think you are doing?" _

"_I need clothes for Nath…Nat…for him!" The girl beamed as she pointed to the confused lad wandering around their common area._

"_How many times must mother tell you that people are not dolls?"_

"_But, I'm…"_

_Crossing his arms, Fergus stood vexatiously between his sister and the silk shirt she had her eye on. "Reina, no."_

"_Reina, no." With her chin held close to her chest and arms crossed, the littlest Cousland mimicked her older brother in mockery. Pouting, Reina skipped into the main family room and returned her attention to the funny looking boy that caused her heart to flutter unwillingly. "Sit."_

"_As you wish." Just like a properly trained mabari, the Howe boy promptly took a seat on the nearest chair._

_With her subject planted, Reina ran her fingers through the boy's hair. On his right side, she gathered all of the maddening right eye covering hair and parted it into three equal parts. "Mother always says that one's appearance should match one's station." Reina remarked as she began braiding. "How old are you Nat…Na…you?"_

"_Eleven. You?"_

_Without warning, Reina reached for Nathaniel's hand, placing it on the side of his head where a braid now remained. "Stay. I'm six." She replied with pride in her voice as she repeated the hair style technique on the other side, using a band from her own hair to secure the boy's new do in place._

"_Only six and already so critical." He smiled at the smitten girl as she came around to his front to inspect her work. "How do I look?"_

"_Not so ridiculous…just a tad ridi." She giggled. "I think that's what I'll call you, Ridi! Much better than that silly name of yours."_

_Regarding his new title, Nathaniel chuckled. "As you wish, my lady."_

_

* * *

_

Reina rubbed her eyes. It was far too bright where she was…wherever she was. With a hand shielding her from the sun's blatant rudeness, Reina reluctantly peeled open her heavy lids.

"Varel, she's awake."

The unexpected sound startled her, causing her body to shudder. Air hissed through barred teeth as a delay of pain struck at her core. Looking down at herself aghast, Reina clumsily pulled on the modest silk sheet covering her, wrapping it tighter around the anything but modest form that lay beneath.

"You do realize that the three of you seem like lechers lurking in a nearly leafless woman's bed chambers, don't you?" Reina pursed her lips, scowling menacingly at the three males that sat at her bed side.

Oghren grinned, hiccup like snorts pouring out of him. "Well Commander, if you're offering, I'm willing to pay, but the dancing better be good." Strutting over to lean against a wall, Oghren laughed like a drunken old man and flicked a coin over to the injured woman. "Well…I'm waiting."

Cocking an eyebrow, Reina bent forward, snatching the coin and in a low sultry voice she breathed. "Of course, anything for you my _dear_ Tipsy." Without a second notion, Reina turned and tossed the coin to Anders. "Go on, dance for the dwarf."

Anders' gaze shifted back and forth between his Commander and the red bearded dwarf. Addled, the mage merely shrugged and pocketed the coin as the other two snickered gleefully.

Not nearly as amused as the young wardens were, Varel cleared his throat, quieting the juvenile laughter. "You gave us quite the scare, Commander."

Reina lifted her hands, teetering them in a scale like fashion. "Keep full of darkspawn, no big deal. One Howe, stab wound to the gut. Could be worse I suppose. You needn't worry, things played out as they should have."

"Forgive me if I am too bold Commander, but he could have killed you."

_My Ridi would never dare kill me. "_Yes, he could've, but he didn't." Straightening her posture, Reina strengthened her shiver inducing voice. "I realize that we are not yet acquainted, but I do know what I'm doing. Your boldness is not needed here."

Varel grunted at the young woman's attempt to lower his stance. He was well aware of the noble visage the woman adored wearing while in the company of others and unfortunate for her, it had no affect on him. "What exactly _are_ you trying to accomplish, Commander? Would it be fair to assume you have a plan? I fear you may be in over your head."

The Warden Commander and current Arlessa no less, glowered at her seneschal. _Andraste's knickers, I wish I could kick you right now._ Reina was so used to everyone falling in line behind her without complaint that it was infuriating how Varel openly doubted her. The blue daggers she relied on whenever she was unarmed continued to confront the man, her brat like petulance fueling her attitude.

"Um, as much as I love a good stare down." Anders interjected, waving a hand between the two glares. "How _did_ the Howe get out of his cell?"

"I let him out."

She didn't snap at the mage, nor did she recoil in shame, but the effect her words had on those present would make an outsider assume she had. "Well, technically he let himself out…I just…assisted." All three lechers gaped at her, mouths slung open in bafflement. At a lost, Reina looked down, ensuring that all parts that should be covered were still covered. "All things considered, he did nothing wrong."

Varel fought to maintain his bucolic composure as a horrific heat of red chocked at his features. "Yes, aside from trespassing on your land, stealing your property and viciously attacking you, nothing at all."

The corners of Reina's mouth twitched slightly as a smile threatened to tug on her lips. She found very little of appeal regarding her seneschal. He was old, his voice was gravelly, and his eyes were much too large even for his overly inflated head, but sarcasm she could appreciate. The fact that Varel's stifled disapproval made him look like a sun burnt nug helped as well.

Reina rolled her eyes to mask her inappropriate enjoyment. "This _was _his land. These _were_ his things. And this," she shrugged, gesturing towards her abdomen "this is only but a flesh wound."

"Pretty and level headed, you're alright. I like you." Anders shrunk into himself as he felt Varel's leer shift from the Commander over to him. "Just…thought I'd share…"

"Thank you for that charming addition." Varel raised a grey brow, titling his head towards the mage. "Commander, I must reiterate. Howe could have killed you. I feel you are taking the matters at hand too lightly."

Reina waved a hand, dismissing the words of her seneschal. She grew tired of the pointless conversation and wished it over. "I am the Warden Commander here and I will take matters as lightly as I so choose to. It would do you good to remember that. Leave me now, there is nothing more to discuss."

"Kid!" Oghren's gruff voice overpowered her. With a disgruntled look, the dwarf returned bedside, the clank of his armor intensifying each frustrated step. Curling his fingers aggressively around the back of the chair he had occupied earlier, he sighed harshly. "By the tits of my ancestors, quit with the sodding nuglicker act or by the stone, I will stick this axe up yer ass."

Varel shifted uneasily within his armor, eyes diverted towards the ceiling.

Anders looked down uncomfortably and drummed his fingers along his knees.

The two men didn't yet have a grasp on the Commander or her finicky personality. Based on her most recent – 'I am better and I know better' - display, they expected Reina to fume. They expected her to berate the dwarf. They expected a hand to make a quick violent contact against a cheek that must have received many.

Instead, she laughed. Even as a spark of pain trickled along her sides, she continued to laugh.

Varel and Anders exchanged muddled looks, both equally confused by their Commander's sudden delight.

Wiping away a stray tear, Reina's surprising laughter died into a soft sigh. "You know Tips; you are the only one allowed to talk to me like that."

Oghren nodded, a silent 'Aye' lingering between two friends. Not only had Oghren been the only companion given such sought after privileges, but he was one of the few people Reina respected. He was also one of the fewer people who understood who she was and understood how to handle the noble brat she grew into.

"I knew him alright," Reina slouched forward, fingers fussing with the sheet "and I would like to think I still know him. I'm glad he stabbed me and before any of you gawkers interrupt, let me explain." She swallowed hard, vying for more time to collect her scrambled thoughts. Confidently, she sat up; neck extended and nose in the air. "I didn't hesitate when it came to his father, why should I expect him to hesitate when it came to me? Fortunately for this pretty little package before you, he did. Nathaniel needed to hear what his father did and he needed to release that anger. So, in the end, I provoked him. It's just the way the game needs to be played, and if any of you have a problem with that, you all know where the door is."

Varel acquiesced, a glisten of understanding beneath the man's copper gaze. "Commander, I would advise assembling a search party to survey the Keep's perimeters. If…Nathaniel remains on the premises, he may still pose a threat."

"No." Reina sliced the air definitively with her hand. "I will find him when he is ready to let me find him. Until then, you do nothing." _Sending guards wouldn't be fair, now would it Ridi?_

"Very well, Commander." With a quick bow, Varel excused himself.

Reina scratched her head as she eyed the two remaining males. Confusion befell upon the woman. "Where in the Maker's name is my dog?"

Anders' fingers returned to their drumming while his leg shook nervously. "Yeah…um, about that…"

* * *

_A/N: Thank you to all of you that favored, alerted, and reviewed...and well took the time to even read. You guys are awesome! =) Next up: we catch up with the brooder himself._


	3. Drunk Nobleing

Nathaniel laughed bitterly to himself. It was humorous how an Arl's son had been reduced to the company of beggars and dipsomaniacs. _Pathetic. _There was a time when he would never be caught in such a place as the Crown & Lion Tavern. It was an establishment more suited for the have beens and never weres not for should have beens like himself.

He _should _have been the Arl. He _should _have been the one doling orders and toying with prisoners. Instead, he found himself retreating to the darkest corner of a repugnant bar, festering amidst the shadows of bumbling drunks and tavern wenches. Beneath his hooded cloak, he hid like a coward…like a criminal.

With jaw clenched and harsh breaths forcing their way through tightened lips, Nathaniel's tarnished fingers curled destructively around the cheap tin mug that the tavern deemed appropriate to serve ale in. The Howes were pariahs because of her, because of the Cousland whose blood caked his hands.

The dark blotches that covered them were difficult to ignore. Time and again, Nathaniel found his eyes lingering on them. Another man would have removed the filth of a lesser man's blood, but the current surviving 'man of the Howe family' refused to. For him, it was the one thing he was able to take from that murdering Cousland. Blood for blood…as it _should _have been.

An array of rankled emotions stirred wildly, crackling embers embodying his core. If only he had returned sooner he could have prevented all of this. He could have saved them.

Eyelids moved rapidly as his head tilted in an automatic response to self chagrin. Nathaniel wasn't certain which 'them' his emotions alluded to; them meaning him and his family or them as in him and…_her_. Nathaniel grunted, acidity piercing the back of his throat. Even in his mind, the thought of Reina burned like a branding iron, leaving a permanent impression through searing pain.

Amongst the pointed whispers and suspicious glances of the tavern patrons, Nathaniel swore he could hear his father chastising him.

_Fool boy, still choosing that harlot over your own flesh and blood. Always the disappointment._

The late Arl's patronizing voice gnawed ruthlessly at his conscience. Nathaniel knew all too well how his father would speak the words, knew exactly where the shame heightening inflections would be placed. When it came to disapproval, Rendon Howe was not a man that fancied discreetness.

Overlooking the pollution he was pouring into his body, Nathaniel swallowed as much wince causing ale his throat would allow. If he insisted on wallowing in the perils of his life, he was determined to go at it drunk.

His head began to pound as the voices of two men pulled at his concentration. The first was a burley fellow whose features were drowned in a mess of graying hair. The man's yellow teeth were masked by an overgrown moustache and his brows resembled that of two furry caterpillars. The filth on his teeth rivaled only that of the filth on his clothing. The other was dangerously thin with hallow cheeks. A gruesome scar ran across the man's face from his left eye down to his right jaw line. He spoke with a harsh rasp and slouched in a way that made him seem as though he had aged far many more years than he had actually lived.

"So you were there right? At the landsmeet?" The hairy one scratched at his chin.

"What of it?"

"Well, did you see it? They say the little lass executed that bastard Loghain."

_Little lass? _Nathaniel grumbled to himself. Even in a seedy bar he was unable to escape her.

The thin one nodded as he brought his mug to his lips. "Aye, in front of the poor man's daughter no less."

"Sounds like something those bloody Orlesians would do."

Nathaniel gripped his mug tighter. At least he didn't have to witness his own father's death.

"You hear what happened after that? She went and named Maric's bastard as King and then when that Arl Eamon fellow turned to our hero looking for a new Queen, she slapped him. Front of everyone. Told em she'd rather marry an ogre than be stuck with that annoying half breed. Said they were taking advantage of her name."

"Feisty little thing ain't she."

_Heh, _he thought to himself, _sounds like the Reina I knew…_

_

* * *

She was beautiful. No, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Nathaniel could barely function while his rising rapture wrecked havoc with his nerves. Distastefully, his palms sweated and his mouth fumbled with a twisted tongue._

_He was ruining it, pitifully so._

_Cursing himself, Nathaniel concentrated on breathing, silently counting his anxiety away. Officially twenty-one and still tripping over some pretty girl like a child with their first crush. It was laugh worthy, indeed. _

_Charmingly, she smiled as her hands knotted back and forth at her midsection, unknowingly drawing his attention further south than considered proper. Nathaniel swallowed hard. The woman before him was fascinatingly different from all the others that chose to parade brazenly about with their only assets prominently on display for all to see. Unlike his usual suitors, she was modest, choosing garments that accented her humble curves rather than revealing them. By the end of the feast, he found it impossible to tear his sight from her._

_This was wrong. _

_Nathaniel knew the feelings he was suffering from were highly inappropriate and would never be accepted by either of their families. Her father had made it abundantly clear who she were to marry while his made it apparent that she was off limits, but the flirtatious glances and coy giggles over the years were difficult to dismiss. So here he found himself, timidly pursuing the very woman he shouldn't be._

_Clearing his throat of any lingering juvenile fears, Nathaniel leaned against the wall she was resting upon, forearm propping himself in an inviting fashion. His silver eyes hovered dangerously close to her seductive blue ones as a hint of blush flushed both their cheeks. Nathaniel smiled. He adored this side of her, so sheepish and bashful, nothing like the confident figure she presented herself as. As much as the Howe boy respected impudence, there was nothing he loved more than possessing the ability to make a lovely woman squirm._

"_You're stunning." He flattered as he brushed strands of threadlike hair behind the woman's delicate ear._

_She bit her lower lip, fingers continually twisting at her abdomen. "That's what my betrothed tells me. Shall I fetch him? The two of you can have a riveting discussion regarding my radiance." _

"_Interesting, I don't recall seeing Prince Cailan here tonight. I suppose a lowly Arl's son's birthday does not deserve the presence of the court."_

"_Yes, interesting." A tattle tale smile crept into form, divulging the future Queen's increasing interest._

_With two fingers, Nathaniel traced along her jaw line and leaned in closer to the point where their lips brushed teasingly against one another. Their heartbeats ran rapid as desire pulsated through their veins. A thunderous clatter accompanied by a high pitched gasp echoed through the hallway._

_Nathaniel startled backwards. "Wait...what?" He lifted an eyebrow, turning his attention towards the end of the hall. His ears filled with the shock of a young girl running spiritlessly away. "Rei-rei?" Confusion caught at the back of his throat._

_"Oh Nate, do not fret. She's just a child." The blond breathed as hands curled around his biceps with an unsettling lack of empathy._

_Pulling away from the woman's hold, Nathaniel shook his head. "No, something must be wrong." Filled with concern, he trailed after the sobbing girl. At the end of the hall, the source of the kiss breaking commotion rested at his feet: a painting depicting a young boy in mismatching garbs with his arm wrapped around an impressionable young girl's shoulders whose midnight hair was dressed with fancy silk ribbons. The painted girl's blue eyes were looking up at the boy with youthful adoration. The gesture tugged at Nathaniel's blind clueless heart. _

_Leaving the future Queen behind, Nathaniel rushed towards the main hall, where the night's festivities were being held. Frantically, the birthday boy shuffled through the sea of faces. The room was filled with uproarious laughter and uplifting melodies, but no Reina. _

_"Nathaniel, my boy. Is the man of the evening enjoying himself?" A large palm patted his back._

_"Yes, my lord, of course." He managed to get out. "I don't suppose you know where Lady Cousland has run off to, do you? I wanted to thank her for the lovely gift."_

_"Ah, the painting! She was worried you wouldn't be fond of it, I'm glad you like it." The Teryn smiled as he gestured towards the side exit. "Pup said she was in need of fresh air. I'm sure she hasn't gone far." _

_With a polite nod, Nathaniel abandoned the company of the Teryn and made way for the Keep's courtyard. The Howe boy released a deep breath when he finally spotted her curled against the only evergreen tree flourishing in an otherwise lifeless field. Her knees were pulled in close to her chest, the brown and yellow dress she donned covering her legs completely, and her face was shielded from prying eyes by shivering arms. Beside her, an empty wine bottle teetered between tiny rocks as the wind blew._

_"Rei-rei," Nathaniel offered a heartwarming smile as he approached the distraught girl, "what are you doing? Alcohol has never sat well with you."_

_"Go away Ridi. Don't you have a Queen to seduce?" She snapped, eyes scowling with a new found hatred._

_Nathaniel furrowed his brows as he knelt down beside her. "Is that what this is about? You don't like Anora?"_

_"No, I don't like her and her stupid face and pompous stuff and other...stuff and..." Suddenly, she interrupted her eloquent ramble to gracelessly drape her hand down his face. "...you're so pretty."_

_"Um...thank you?"_

_"No...yeah...what? That's it, where's she?" Reina grabbed the empty bottle beside her and stumbled to her feet. "I'll show that hussy not to canoodle with my Ridi when there's a perfectly good square faced slack jawed pet at home. Wh-where are that ...huh?" Falling shoulder first against the tree, Reina flung her arms awkwardly about in some sort of drunken fighting technique. Surely the future Queen would be shaking in her knickers at the sight of her._

_Seeing Reina there slurring her thoughts and ineptly swinging a wine bottle while a thin stream of drool rolled down her chin was strangely endearing. Rising to meet her face to face, Nathaniel cupped Reina's cheeks with both his hands. "Canoodle?"_

_"Canoodle. Fraternize. Lick." Reina clucked her tongue in irritation. "What word would you prefer me to use?" _

_Yielding, Nathaniel put his hands up. "No, no. Canoodle works just fine, my lady."_

_Silver eyes widened in unexpected surprise as Reina pressed her lips sloppily against his. It felt...unusual, but nice as her breath held the flavor of sweet red grapes and cinnamon. Nathaniel's mind spun in a whirl. Her confessional display shouldn't have caught him off guard as it did, but nevertheless, he found that his brain no longer functioned properly. "Um...thank you?"_

_Shying away from his fixed stare, Reina made tiny hiccup mixed with giggle noises. With abrupt confidence, she straightened her posture the best she drunkenly could and slapped him audaciously across the face. "No! Bad Ridi, bad." She spoke, with lips pursed and finger waggling as if she was scolding a mabari. "No taking advantage of tipsy girls. What kind of...kind of...what...sor-sordid man are you?"_

_Nathaniel rubbed his cheek and laughed uncomfortably. "Rei-rei...always...interesting." His mind remained snared on a few bewildering bumps. Reina grinned before quickly clasping a hand over her mouth. Unable to keep composure, Nathaniel's eyes followed the heaving girl as she staggered clumsily away. _

_A smile tugged on Nathaniel lips. 'Different' was much closer than he had realized._

* * *

Nathaniel dragged a callous hand down his face in hopes of ejecting any lingering long lost memories of a life he was no longer living. In need of a distraction, he focused his attention back to the gossiping men that sat at the table next to his.

"Last I heard Thomas ran off to Antiva. Tail between his legs. The little drunken bastard got the coward's gene straight off his father. Didn't even stay round long enough to be run out."

"_HA-ha! _Just like them older two eh? Nate got shipped off a few years back didn't he? The lad never stood up for himself. Always cowering at his Pa's feet. You think he ever became a worthwhile man?"

"He hasn't returned has he? Course not! The girl though. She's a strange one. Married a year after Rendon Howe passed. To a merchant no less! A desperate woman if I've ever seen one."

"Ah, yes. That one. Seen her a bunch of times. Quite the little whore if you ask me. Oh how I've heard stories about little ole Deliah Howe. Some even make me blush!"

"Word of advice, friend?" Keeping his head low and covered, Nathaniel traced the rim of his cup with a finger. "Take heed of what you say. You never know who might be listening."

"What's it to ya boy?" The hairy one popped his neck and leered deplorably at what he believed to be nothing more than a shady character. "Have a soft spot for desperate whores do ya?"

Nathaniel's mouth twisted angrily, teeth biting down on any lip or inner cheek that got in their way. Words about his brother he could handle. They were mostly true anyhow. Words about himself, well he'd take care of that in time, but insults regarding his sweet innocent sister? No, that was something he wouldn't be able to brush off with a shrug.

When Nathaniel didn't engage, the hairy one of the two stood and approached, menacingly placing his palms flat on the table. "I said, what's it to ya boy?" Provokingly, the man poked him with a stubby dirty finger.

With the ordeals of the past week already plaguing his mind, the finger prodding was one rage inducing step too far. In a blur of fabric, Nathaniel jolted up out of his seat and flung his mug at the mess of graying hair, hitting the man square in the nose.

The thin one sprung up instantly, fists clenched and snarling. "Who do you think you are, pal?"

"Not your pal for one." Nathaniel's voice turned rough with fire.

The hairy man gripped Nathaniel's shoulders, filthy nails digging into his flesh, and spun him around violently. The man pulled back his arm, fat fingers curling into a fist, and with the strength of his lower back pummeled a well aimed punch towards Nathaniel's jaw. Stopping mere inches of his target, the man gasped as the forcible movement caused Nathaniel's hood to fall back, revealing the well known face of an Arl's son.

"Maker! Na-Nathan-aniel H-Howe?" The hairy man stammered as eyes widened in horror. The blood seeping from the man's nose painted his lips a gruesome red. He was petrified. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Maker please forgive me. In the name of Andraste, I apologize." Suddenly the man shrank in size as his entire body pulled together in regret. Slowly he began backing away as he continually bent forward in some sort of apologetic bow.

With this display, Nathaniel finally understood why Reina preferred not to interact with any of the common folk that infested his father's lands. Mouth runners, the lot of them. When protected by anonymity and distanced from their betters they are rash opinionated creatures, but when confronted by one they immediately shrivel into the disgusting miscreants they truly were.

With eyes fierce, Nathaniel reached out, bunched the man's collar, and yanked him so close that their noses were touching. Nathaniel's heated breath and steel eyes toppled the hairy man's shaky features in ownership. "Now what were you saying about my sister?"

"Noth-nothing ser. We didn't mean no harm. Ain't that right?" The hairy man shot a look at the frightened thin one and cringed helplessly as he watched his friend cow heartedly abandoned him.

Nathaniel took a deep growling breath and slammed the hairy man against a wall. Using all of the strength stirred from his building anger, Nathaniel pinned the man back. "Shall we try that again?"

The man's entire body shook in terror. "Your-your sister, what a beautiful creature, married a good man."

"Where is she?"

"Market district. Ma-made a good life for herself. Not desperate. No ser."

Nathaniel pounded his palm against the wall next the man's head and gave one last repulsive look. There were more important matters at hand than wasting any more time with such insignificant vermin. His sister was alive and had to find her.

Leaving the quarrel of the bar behind him, Nathaniel stood in the middle of street and readjusted his hood. With sudden abrupt force, Nathaniel was knocked to ground; head brutally hitting against the pavement. He squealed in surprise as he became caught between a mass of fur, cobble stone and an undying source of slobber hovering above him.

* * *

_Next up: Reina receives a visit not only from the king, but from someone who will deal her a new card. As always, thank you so much for reading! =)_


End file.
